West Orange girls golf finishes second at state -- Observer Preps

When the West Orange girls golf team found itself in danger of slipping out of the top three on the second day of the state tournament Oct. 26, thanks to a rough start on the front nine, the Warriors’ two seniors led a rally that ultimately netted the team its first state runner-up finish since 1999.

A strong finish on the back nine at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills helped West Orange edge Buchholz High (final score of 638) to take second in the state in Class 3A with a two-day score of 625. Lake Mary High won the state title with a score of 614.

“We were on a mission on that back nine to get those strokes back,” first-year coach Jackie Hannaford said. 

Senior Aly Moya got the Warriors rolling on the back-nine with a string of four birdies over three holes and the team’s other senior, Maria “Gabby” Loza, finished strong with two birdies and a par.

Loza finished tied for seventh, individually, and Moya finished tied for 22nd.

Alongside three underclassmen, the girls improved upon finishes of sixth place, fifth place and eighth place at state in the previous three years.

“We called it ‘the marathon’ to get through states,” Hannaford said, elaborating on the team’s philosophy this fall. “We didn’t look at the sprints. … Our goal was to win states, if not definitely put ourselves in the top three. It was a marathon mentality.”

Moya, who has been on the varsity team all four years, was competing in a fourth consecutive state tournament and Loza, who recently moved to West Orange from Colombia, was in her first state competition in Florida. 

Afterward, Hannaford, who played collegiately at Barry University and FGCU, praised her seniors for their leadership and willingness to be an extension of the coaching staff.

“The fact that these two seniors really just stepped up … that really showed the heart that these seniors had,” Hannaford said. “That’s their attitude that they’ve had the entire season.”

The other three golfers who made the state roster for West Orange — Michelle Bagsic, Janelle Silguero and Sonia Mistry — all will be back for another go at a state title, dependent upon whether the girls are zoned for the new school.

If the team, which has 11 golfers total, can retain most of its standouts, Hannaford is optimistic the girls can continue to build.

“They have experience at the highest level of high-school golf, not to mention all of them play tournament golf,” Hannaford said. “So, mentally, they’re prepared for high levels of competition and, obviously, they have the game for it.”

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].